Meet Chef Mario
Chef Mario López didn’t discover food in a culinary school he discovered it in the fields of Mazatlán, Guerrero, Mexico, where he grew up harvesting tomatoes, peppers, and corn. Long before he stepped into a professional kitchen, he learned that great cooking begins with the land.
At sixteen, he moved to Mexico City, and by eighteen he was in Chicago searching for opportunity. A job on the line soon became a passion, and passion became a career. Years spent in some of Chicago’s respected kitchens including Vivo led to more than two decades as a Corporate Chef, where he developed menus, built restaurant concepts, and refined a style rooted in authenticity rather than trends.
In 2023, Chef Mario opened Maíz y Barro, a reflection of a lifetime spent honoring Mexican tradition while embracing the experiences that shaped him along the way. Every dish tells a piece of that journey from the fields where it all began to the kitchen he now calls home.
When he’s not cooking, Mario finds inspiration traveling, exploring regional cuisines, wandering local markets, and discovering the stories behind the food that continues to influence Maíz y Barro.
Meet Our Pastry Chef
Chef Elvia
Chef Elvia Granados believes every great dessert begins with patience, precision, and a story. Born in Tecomatlán, Hidalgo, Mexico, and raised in Mexico City, she grew up between two worlds spending time on her family’s farm while also learning the discipline of a family run business. Together, those experiences shaped both her work ethic and her appreciation for craftsmanship.
After studying Tourism Business Administration, Elvia found her true calling in pastry under the guidance of her mentor, Chef Josefina, whose lifelong dedication to baking forever changed the way she viewed the craft. In 1994, she moved to Chicago, where years in some of the city’s most respected kitchens led her to become a Corporate Pastry Chef, creating desserts for multiple restaurant concepts while earning recognition as a nominee for Pastry Chef of the Year in 2004.
In 2022, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening Elvia’s Artisan Pastries, followed by Maíz y Barro in 2023 alongside Chef Mario. Her desserts and every dish that leaves the kitchen reflect a lifetime of discipline, curiosity, and a deep respect for the traditions she grew up with.
When she’s not in the kitchen, Elvia finds inspiration through travel, discovering new flavors, birdwatching, long walks, and, of course, exceptional chocolate.